Under The Skin (117)

Published on Friday, November 14, 2014

Welcome to Under The Skin, the only place on the internet where you’ll find all the week’s new horror trailers under one roof. Were you disappointed by recent CONJURING spinoff ANNABELLE? We know we were. But don’t let it deter you from PLAYING WITH DOLLS, as there’s still plenty of frightful fun to be had... ‘A wealthy voyeur uses his vast wealth to watch women die. He arranges to have a serial killer released from a prison for the criminally insane. The voyeur brings victims to a secret cabin in the middle of a dense forest and allows the killer to have his way with them. The voyeur watches through hundreds of hidden cameras as the killer slashes his way through unsuspecting victims in his private playground of horror.’

GIRLHOUSE sounds quite sweet to me. Pink and lavender-scented. Co-directors Trevor Matthews and Jon Knautz beg to differ. ‘Kylie Atkins (Ali Cobrin) is a beautiful young co-ed with cover-girl looks and a desperate need for money to pay her college tuition. Having convinced herself that Internet porn may be the answer to her financial problems, Kylie is recruited to join GirlHouse, a live web-feed broadcasting the sexy antics of a group of stunning young women living in a secluded – and highly secure – wooded mansion. One night while Kylie is out, one of the other girls insults an online client (Slaine), a deranged psychopathic computer technician, who then hacks in to determine the house’s location, seeking twisted revenge. Kylie returns to the house to find herself cut off from the outside world and in a terrifying fight for survival.’

Recent release WER proved there is such a thing as a good modern werewolf movie. Will Jeremy Wooding’s BLOOD MOON continue the trend? ‘A stagecoach full of passengers and an enigmatic gunslinger is held hostage by two outlaws on the run from the law, but events take an unexpected turn when the travelers are stalked by a mythical beast that only appears on the night of a blood red moon.’

After reading the exhaustive official synopsis you might not need to see the film. It’s THE BLACKOUT. ‘Martin and his pregnant wife leave New York to return to the small town where Martin grew up, an idyllic, quiet hamlet hundreds of miles from the nearest city, a place where everyone knows one another. The sheriff stands in front of the general store greeting the smiling townspeople… a group of college students hike into the forest… retired soldier Jim embraces the isolated privacy of life surrounded only by nature. Nothing much happens in this peaceful community. All is normal on a beautiful, perfect autumn day. And then the power goes out.

Rumors spread of a nationwide apocalyptic attack. Fear sets in. Martin tries to help the panicked residents, putting his wife’s pregnancy at risk. With communication lines down and fuel supplies low, food and provisions become scarce, and the town quickly devolves into disorganized chaos. The arrival of a merciless gang of armed felons brings terror to the community, collapsing what little order had remained. In his cabin Jim readies his arsenal of weapons – and fortifies his home – to prepare for what’s coming. Meanwhile, the students wander through the woods, unaware of the mass hysteria gripping the region… until it is too late.

Chaos erupts into bloody violence when the hikers’ paths eventually cross with Martin’s and the gang of criminals at Jim’s compound. Gritty, disturbing, and frighteningly real, we are witness to the worst of human nature as society falls apart and the law of the jungle takes over during THE BLACKOUT.

Darkness descends.’

Here at LaptopZombie we love a good horror/sci-fi mashup. Take a look at Jeremy Berg’s THE DEVICE, and find it on DVD 16 December. ‘What if the rumors and urban legends are real… that aliens walk among us, abducting people for unthinkable experiments? Sisters Abby and Rebecca are about to discover the horrifying truth when they find a harmless looking object in the woods near their family’s cabin.

The small black sphere is the key to a shocking mystery that will change the course of human destiny. The Device has plans for us, and this world is no longer ours.’

SUBMERGED may be more of a thriller than a horror, but it’s from Steven C. Miller, who made 2012’s bonkers Christmas gorefest SILENT NIGHT, so we’re willing to give it a chance. ‘A limo ride home from a party turns into a terrifying ordeal for a group of college kids. A young woman and her friends have been targeted by a ring of vengeful kidnappers and must do everything they can to survive after their limo is forced off the road and plunged into a canal.’

We’re onboard with any film described as a ‘creature feature with heart’ – especially if it stars Bill Oberst, Jr. Prepare yourself for THE DOOMS CHAPEL HORROR. ‘A horrific family tragedy, a town that lays blame, a boy who wants revenge. The Dooms Chapel Horror rises to unleash its terrible vengeance on the tight-knit Southern town of Kaler Mills.

Blamed for the death of his celebrated older brother, young Kyle Cole is tormented by members of the community to the point of no return. A secret meeting at the compound of a mysterious and dangerous man named Jordan sets the fate of the town… only to be put on hold as Kyle’s parents, succumbing to their grief, abruptly send Kyle away to be raised by distant relatives.

Now, years later, Kyle is a young man on the verge of graduating from college. He is joined by his girlfriend, Mandy, and Tanner, a young documentary filmmaker, as he travels back to Kaler Mills. He hopes to find peace with his mother and father and to finally deal with the events that caused him so much sadness and anger as a boy. But his parents are not the only ones waiting for Kyle’s return. The table is still set, and Jordan; his adopted son, Samuel; and the dark, ancient creation of Kyle’s vengeance have been waiting… and they are hungry!’

Our interest is also piqued by anything that describes itself as ‘extreme horror.’ Ladies and gentlemen, it’s writer/director Ryan Nicholson’s COLLAR. ‘A rookie cop (Mackenzie Murdock) starts her shift like any other, but soon it will all change for the worse. A derelict with a reputation of satanic violence (Nick Principe) attacks the officer and collars her with a dog leash, which is just the start of his abusive ritual.'